Youth want to help reconciliation

Date: November 20 2012

Michael Gordon

AN overwhelming majority of young Australians want to be involved in reconciliation, but only a third know what they can do, according to a report by Reconciliation Australia and the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition. Only 16 per cent of those surveyed for the report felt there was trust between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, with 72 per cent agreeing that ''we are prejudiced towards each other''.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people identified racism, discrimination and prejudice as the most important issue in Australia today, while non-indigenous young people cited it as the second most important issue, the Yarn About Youth report says.

Authors of the report, which reflects the views of 740 people aged 15 to 26 who were surveyed and representatives of 22 youth organisations who met to discuss its findings, hope it will give impetus to the reconciliation movement.

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